... CD

Two LPs on 1 CD plus bonus tracks! CD

Two fantastic albums from the Four Seasons – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Ain't That A Shame – pure genius from the Four Seasons – heard here very early in their career, but already sparkling with all the fantastic things that would make them so unique! The Bob Crewe production is brilliant, the Charlie Callelo arrangements are filled with all sorts of weird twists and turns, and the amazing vocal lead of Frankie Valli is mindblowing – all nose and grit, in a way that really sets the group apart from so many other quartets of the time! Titles include "Candy Girl", "Long Lonely Nights", "Honey Love", "Stay", and "Ain't That A Shame" – plus great original material for the group – including "Soon", "Dumb Drum", "New Mexican Rose", "That's The Only Way", and "Melancholy". Live On Stage follows the wide range of material on the first album, by featuring the group in a fantastic blend of jazz, pop, and standard numbers – all recorded live, with a harmony sound that's almost earthier than some of their studio albums! The audience is very upfront in the mix, and very enthusiastic – and Frankie and the group sound especially nice on some of the straighter numbers, singing in a way that's almost like the harmony of the Four Freshmen. Titles include "Brotherhood Of Man", "Come Si Bella", "Mack The Knife", "We Three", "Day In Day Out", "My Mother's Eyes", "Little Boy", and "Blues In The Night". Bonus tracks include "Silver Wings" and "Starmaker". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A wild little concept album from the Four Seasons – one that's packaged in newspaper-style cover, and which presents tunes that almost have that late 60s British "snapshots of life" approach to pop – particularly that put forth by The Kinks on Village Green Preservation Society. The album's a true genius effort from Bob Gaudio – now risen to the ranks of producer for the group, and also the key songwriter for the album too – working here in tandem with the great Jake Holmes, a wonderful choice for a record like this! Arrangements are inventive, playful, and definitely at a level that shows some influence from Pet Sounds or Sgt Peppers – but there's also a focused, all-pop approach to the tunes too – one that's hook-heavy even when trippy, and which shows that the Four Seasons were as great at psychedelic and Sunshine Pop as any of the groups they'd inspired over the years. Titles include "Saturday's Father", "Wall Street Village Day", "Wonder What You'll Be", "Soul Of A Woman", "Something's On Her Mind", "American Crucifixion Resurrection", and "Mrs Stately's Garden". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The tunes are familiar, but the group is really coming into their own here – working with amazing arrangments from Charlie Calello, and this wild production from the great Bob Crewe! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful Christmas present from Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – a selection of Holiday tunes all recast with their tremendous harmony sound! The group are surprisingly great in this format – as their music always has this odd undercurrent of melancholy that really brings out the best in the tunes – and which opens up with a deeper feeling than just straight covers of Christmas tunes. Frankie's nose is right out in the lead on most numbers, and thanks to production by Bob Crewe and arrangements by Sid Bass, even familiar tunes are presented here in very fresh versions! Titles include "The Little Drummer Boy", "What Child Is This", "The Excelsis Deo Medley", "Jingle Bells", "White Christmas", "Christmas Tears", and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". CD

A cool collection – one with obvious early hits, plus overlooked later gems like the funky "Beggin" – plus "Electric Stories", "Tell It To The Rain", "Watch The Flowers Grow", and more! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful Christmas present from Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – a selection of Holiday tunes all recast with their tremendous harmony sound! The group are surprisingly great in this format – as their music always has this odd undercurrent of melancholy that really brings out the best in the tunes – and which opens up with a deeper feeling than just straight covers of Christmas tunes. Frankie's nose is right out in the lead on most numbers, and thanks to production by Bob Crewe and arrangements by Sid Bass, even familiar tunes are presented here in very fresh versions! Titles include "The Little Drummer Boy", "What Child Is This", "The Excelsis Deo Medley", "Jingle Bells", "White Christmas", "Christmas Tears", and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A wild little concept album from the Four Seasons – one that's packaged in newspaper-style cover, and which presents tunes that almost have that late 60s British "snapshots of life" approach to pop – particularly that put forth by The Kinks on Village Green Preservation Society. The album's a true genius effort from Bob Gaudio – now risen to the ranks of producer for the group, and also the key songwriter for the album too – working here in tandem with the great Jake Holmes, a wonderful choice for a record like this! Arrangements are inventive, playful, and definitely at a level that shows some influence from Pet Sounds or Sgt Peppers – but there's also a focused, all-pop approach to the tunes too – one that's hook-heavy even when trippy, and which shows that the Four Seasons were as great at psychedelic and Sunshine Pop as any of the groups they'd inspired over the years. Titles include "Saturday's Father", "Wall Street Village Day", "Wonder What You'll Be", "Soul Of A Woman", "Something's On Her Mind", "American Crucifixion Resurrection", and "Mrs Stately's Garden". CD

Features "Let's Hang On", "Ragdoll", "Silence Is Golden", "Dawn (Go Away)", and more! LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A long-overdue look at a little-heard side of the career of 60s pop giant Lou Christie – his great but ill-fated recordings for Columbia Records – most of which appear here for the first time ever! Lou hit the label right after a massive hit for MGM – and Columbia gave him plenty of time in the studio, and continued his work with producer Charles Calello – the genius who crafted so many wonderful settings for Christie, as well as the Four Seasons at the time. Calello's genius is in full effect here – creating these incredible backdrops for Christie's stunning vocals – really pushing him past simple pop into a whole host of different modes that make the whole thing a great "what if" – had the label not given up on Lou so quickly. The CD features great sound, detailed notes, and 24 tracks in all – 15 of which appear here for the first time ever – a blindingly great mix of tracks that includes "I Remember Gina", "The Greatest Show On Earth", "Blue Champagne", "Tender Loving Care", "Gypsy Bells, "Escape", "Standing On My Promises", "Shake Hands & Walk Away Cryin", "Self Expression", "Yellow Lights Say", "Meditation", and "How Many Days Of Sadness". CD

Tripped-out sunshine pop from the end of the 60s – the only outing ever from The Golden Gate, a group put together by the team of Billy Carlucci and Reid Whitelaw, who were probably best known for their bubblegum pop work over at Kama Sutra! The sound of this one's quite deeper than any simple pop, though – much headier stuff that clearly draws from the best post-Smile Beach Boys years, and the offbeat Four Seasons experiments of the time – fusing older east coast harmony styles onto a more expansive, ambitious instrumental groove, with really sublime results! Although quite unknown, the album's a true late 60s Sunshine treasure – one that's well worth tracking down, and filled with killer cuts that include "Contrary To Mary", "Ready Willing & Able", "High On A Melody", "Monday After Sunday", and "Diane". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool collection of cuts when the island of Bermuda was a big spot for American travelers to visit – mostly tunes from the 50s done in a variety of tropical styles, but also some Bermuda-titled tracks that show up from a really surprising range of performers! The package has calypso at the core, but also shows the way that style influenced so many others – while the island itself lent it self to all sorts of musical fantasies about the spot! As always with Bear Family sets, the whole thing is overflowing with surprises – and titles include "Bermuda Wonderful" by The Imperials, "Bermuda" by Sidney Bean Trio, "Beautiful Bermuda" by Erskine Zuill & The Red Smith Trio, "Sunset In Bermuda" by The Talbot Brothers, "Bermuda" by The Four Seasons, "Betty In Bermuda" by The Dovells, "Bermuda" by Linda Scott, "Queen Of The Bermudas" by David Dee & The Dons, "Bermuda Shorts" by Marion Madman Mitchell & The Rocketeers, "Letter From Berumda" by Ruth Wallis, and "Golf Time In Bermuda" by Ross Talbot. CD

Guys go pop, and end up sounding pretty darn groovy in the process – especially since most of the tracks on this collection have a nice sort of groove! All numbers have full, rich 60s production – those bigger studio modes learned in the early years of rock music, but turned towards artists who might have been more mainstream pop, yet really get the chance to soar in this setting! There's often a slight soul current in the backings – like the cooler Four Seasons tracks of the 60s, or early work by Tony Orlando – and like both of those acts, the balance here is between sharp production and a strong sense of star power in the lead. Titles include "I Said Hello To Shirley" by Lee Brackett, "Who Needs You" by Bobby Paris, "What's The Matter With Marilyn" by Vinnie Monte, "Pride" by Brent Edwards, "A Girl Needs To Love & Be Loved" by Mark Thatcher, "Without You" by Hilton James, "There Is So Much" by Bob Moline, "Speak For Yourself John" by Chuck Rondell, "The Statue" by Tommy Sands, "One Good Turn Deserves Another" by Don Grady, "Another Lori" by The James Boys, and "Someone Else" by Russ Damon. CD

Music from The Four Seasons, Clyde McPhatter, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Jackie Wilson and more. CD

One of the most fully-realized concept albums ever recorded by Frank Sinatra – a set of all original material put together for Sinatra by Bob Gaudio and Jake Holmes – two younger talents who really come up with some great songs for the sessions! Gaudio had already been working some wonderfully complex changes in the sound of The Four Seasons, and he works here on arrangements too, with work from Charles Callelo – also a big force on the cool and groovy sound that kept the Seasons so great in the late 60s! The album didn't score hugely at the time, but it's a real overlooked gem in Sinatra's catalog – the kind of mature, focused album that he first founded Reprise Records to put together – served up with a style that's nicely different than his hit singles of the late 60s. Titles include "I Would Be In Love Anyway", "Watertown", "Goodbye", "What A Funny Girl You Used To Be", "Michael & Peter", "For Awhile", "She Says", and "The Train". CD

Titles include "Little Miss Blue", "Nursery Rhymes", "Lovin' Time", "Two Purple Shadows In The Snow", "I Love Girls", "Four Seasons", "Stamps, Baby, Stamps", and more – 33 tracks total, including some rare demos and acetate recordings. CD

One of the most fully-realized concept albums ever recorded by Frank Sinatra – a set of all original material put together for Sinatra by Bob Gaudio and Jake Holmes – two younger talents who really come up with some great songs for the sessions! Gaudio had already been working some wonderfully complex changes in the sound of The Four Seasons, and he works here on arrangements too, with work from Charles Callelo – also a big force on the cool and groovy sound that kept the Seasons so great in the late 60s! The album didn't score hugely at the time, but it's a real overlooked gem in Sinatra's catalog – the kind of mature, focused album that he first founded Reprise Records to put together – served up with a style that's nicely different than his hit singles of the late 60s. Titles include "I Would Be In Love Anyway", "Watertown", "Goodbye", "What A Funny Girl You Used To Be", "Michael & Peter", "For Awhile", "She Says", and "The Train". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes early tracks by Bobby Darin, the Lettermen, Sonny & Cher, Simon & Garfunkel, the Emotions, the Tolkens, the Dubs, the Four Seasons, Buddy Holly, Tony Orlando, the Newports, and more – 35 songs in all. CD

Includes 50 tracks by the Beach Boys, Brenda Lee, Stevie Wonder, Connie Francis, The Weavers, Donny Hathaway, Gene Autry, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Lou Monte, Burl Ives, Fats Domino, The Four Seasons, Bobby Darin, The Temptations, and more! CD

This is a fantastic album! French pianist Raymond Fol leads a group that includes American and European players of the Clarke-Boland Big Band mode, like Johnny Griffin, Jimmy Woode, and Fats Sadi, plus American Art Taylor on drums – and he's come up with a swinging take on Vivaldi's Four Seasons that's one of the hippest French jazz sides we've heard from the 60s! Forget the source of the material, because Fol lets the players really go loose on the solos – which means you'll hear great vibes from Sadi, searing tenor from Griffin, and some excellent work on piano and celeste from Fol himself, all set to tight rhythm accompaniment that makes the tracks swing harder than you'd ever expect. A real treat, kind of a swinging jazz suite, ala the best MPS work of the Clarke-Boland Big Band! CD

One of the most fully-realized concept albums ever recorded by Frank Sinatra – a set of all original material put together for Sinatra by Bob Gaudio and Jake Holmes – two younger talents who really come up with some great songs for the sessions! Gaudio had already been working some wonderfully complex changes in the sound of The Four Seasons, and he works here on arrangements too, with work from Charles Callelo – also a big force on the cool and groovy sound that kept the Seasons so great in the late 60s! The album didn't score hugely at the time, but it's a real overlooked gem in Sinatra's catalog – the kind of mature, focused album that he first founded Reprise Records to put together – served up with a style that's nicely different than his hit singles of the late 60s. Titles include "I Would Be In Love Anyway", "Watertown", "Goodbye", "What A Funny Girl You Used To Be", "Michael & Peter", "For Awhile", "She Says", and "The Train". CD

The title definitely gets it right – as this massive 42 track set is overflowing with the kind of rare soul gems that made the Northern Soul scene really take off at the end of the 60s! The collection of cut is from a variety of labels – and the package does a great job of tracing the way listening modes moved from Motown and bigger soul imprints of the time, to a mix of indie labels and obscure cuts that were recorded for large record companies who didn't do anything with the singles at the time – leaving it to UK soul music fans to snatch them up, spin them in clubs, and turn them into tracks that had legendary staying power over the decades! There's plenty of greatness here if you dig classic upbeat soul – and the set features work from The Tams, Dean Parris, Tobi Legend, Bobby Hebb, Joy Lovejoy, The Exciters, Marlena Shaw, The Coasters, Brothehrood Of Man, The Flirtations, Frank Wilson, Gloria Jones, The Elgins, Dana Valery, Edwin Starr, Darrell Banks, Al Wilson, Dee Dee Sharp, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Tami Lynn, and many others. LP, Vinyl record album